Springfield daily republic. [volume] (Springfield, O. [Ohio]) 1887-1888, 1887-08-27
THE POPLAR RIVER INDIANS.
Backs and Squaws ~ Tillsrs Of the Soil
Faithful Government servsnts.

Faithful Government Sorvnnts
Soon after the cap,ure and breaking nm
Of Sitting BuIl's great hand in ,b,. winter
and summer of 1881 there were something
like 5000 Indians at the Poplar creek
agency. They wer. sayapes in every sense
of the word. possessed a magnificent pony
herd, bu; they We're still prisopers Of war
and wards Of the government II WAS
hard to teach them the arts of civilization
and the ways OF busbandry in a night, So
long as the ratiuus lasted and the nony
herd held ont th,. c.ntive slnrig;nes di1
very well, but as soon rs food began I,
fail the Indians failed also. and il il said
that great numbers NJ tben died from
starvation. Since that upfor-upate enocb
missionaries of the church have been hnsv
among them. who, together with the efforts
of the government agents. have nlace,l the
Poplar river Indians almost ON n self snp-
porting basis
Last wear more than OOO acres were
under cultivation ,,tbourb tho crops ,.r.
almost a total failnre owing n the nnfor.
tunate drought which preyaile,, through
out the entire northwest The nresent
spring has been an excep,ionaIlv GOOD one
and promises good crops il the weather
shall hold fine
There are a number OF schools at and in
the neighborhood of poplar river and one
large industrial boarding school which ia
run, under contract, by the missionary
society Of the Methodist EpisconuI church
At Deer Tail a PRESBYTERIAN school close
by, the teacher is Joseph Rogers. an edu-
Gated Indian who teaches tho YOUNGSTERS
Of his race Christianity and everything
else in their native Dakota ,anpuape
visit the camp in order 10 insnect the
Yankton brave when at home Aside
from all their meritorious prooressions
bucks, sGuaws. papooses hoys and maid.
ems still cling to their ancient savage an
tipathy to hair growing ON the fnce II
was not an infreauent sight 10 see the old
men, the youths approaching manbood
and the middle aged fellows too souat-
ted ON the grass with hits Of mirrors he
fore them busilv Mt work nnlIino f,om
their faces with fine nipp.rs the sprouts of
growing beard.
In the one Yankton village at Poplar
river l think il is a low estimate TO say
that I saw ). 900 dogs, Monpreis monde
scripts, hounds, hybrid wolves. curs of
every description, followed me all over
the camp. smelling nv heels and buvoinu
me closely, but taking to their heels like
a shot at the slightest evidence OF hostil-
ity on nv part. l should Judge there
were two dogs to every Indian in all the
camps visited
The Indian police at Poplar river are
better to see than circus clowns. There
are twenty privates and two officers. and
they evince the most passionate desire to
wear a uniform Of some kind One private
l saw wore colonel's blouse and shoulder
straps, and pair Of common cotton draw
ers for trousers. Others were gotten up
in similar style. and adorned themselves
with tin, brass or some other metal in "a
lore whenever possible. 1t should be
stated. however, that they have been and
are good and faithful servants Of the gov
ernment, earning every cent Of the nav
they receive. and also ready and obligine
TO 90 anywher. when ordered, at any time
of day or ni.yhf